9-11 Days Birdsville Desert Escape 2019

Escorted Group Tour from Longreach to Birdsville return with optional rail

On this tour to the South West Outback region you will experience a fusion of stunning red sand hills, abundant wildlife and magnificent flora and fauna. Discover the magic of the far west towns and the spectacular landscapes where the Channel Country meets the desert.

itinerary

Day 1: Tuesday – Brisbane to Longreach (D)

Guests on BDE11 will depart Brisbane at 6.10pm on the Spirit of the Outback for a first class overnight rail journey to Longreach. Overnight Spirit of the Outback First Class Rail Sleeper (BDE11 guests only)

Day 2: Wednesday – Longreach (B,L,D)

Welcome to Longreach! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your accommodation for the next two nights. Guests on BDE9 will join the tour after lunch today. Meet fellow travellers at our Welcome Dinner with your Savannah Guides Operator driver and host. Tonight you’ll get a preview of the exciting adventures to come. 2 nights Jumbuck Motel, Longreach

Day 3: Thursday – Longreach (B,L,D)

Visit the world-class Qantas Founders Museum, eloquently telling the story of the founding of Qantas. Meet the Smith family at historic Rosebank Station for great hospitality and a relaxed homestead morning tea. Discover the inspiring stories of our pioneering heroes at the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. Late afternoon, unwind on the Drover’s Sunset Cruise with tasty onboard nibbles platters, before taking your seat at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show.

Day 4: Friday – Windorah (B,L,D)

Follow the mighty Thomson River floodplain to Windorah, said to be the only place in the world where two rivers form a creek! See magnificently contrasting colours in Welford National Park; golden green spinifex, white-barked ghost gums and stunning red sand dunes. Late afternoon in Windorah, we’ll take a short trip out of town to toast the sunset from beautiful wind-swept red sandhills. Have your cameras ready! Overnight Cooper Cabins or Western Star Hotel, Windorah

Day 5: Saturday – Birdsville (B,L,D)

See the JC Hotel Ruins, once part of the township site of Canterbury. Visit Betoota, originally established to collect cattle tolls and later as a Cobb & Co change station. It’s now a ghost town. Take in spectacular views from Deon’s Lookout and see the Dreamtime Serpent Indigenous artwork; an impressive hillside installation created with gravel and gibbers. At the end of the famous Birdsville Track we arrive in Birdsville. 2 nights Birdsville Hotel, Birdsville

Day 6: Sunday – Birdsville (B,L,D)

Stroll down to the banks of tranquil Birdsville Billabong and see the well known Birdsville Racetrack. Visit the Wirrarri Centre to view local artists’ work and explore the Inland Hospital. Tonight we toast the glorious outback sunset from atop Big Red, a 40 metre high sand dune marking the symbolic eastern edge of the Simpson Desert.

Day 7: Monday – Boulia (B,L,D)

Take a close up look at the rare and ancient Waddi Trees. Visit the Carcory Ruins, a remnant of European settlement, and see the nearby flowing Artesian Bore. Explore the remote town of Bedourie, located on a sand dune; overlooking the Eyre Creek floodplain. See the historic Royal Hotel, built in the 1880s with adobe bricks; still very much in its original condition. Witness spectacular 360-degree views from the Vaughan Johnson Lookout. Arrive in Boulia mid afternoon. Overnight Australian Hotel or Desert Sands Motel, Boulia

Day 8: Tuesday – Winton (B,L,D)

Visit Boulia’s Min Min Encounter, a tribute to the famed Min Min Light phenomenon. Explore the Stonehouse Museum, one of the first homes built in Western Queensland. Discover the impressive Marine Reptile Fossil exhibit. We follow a spectacularly scenic drive to Winton via Cawnpore Lookout to view the stark flat-topped beauty of the surrounding Lillyvale Hills. Visit the historic Middleton Hotel, originally a coach staging post. Hear entertaining yarns over your casual pub lunch. Enjoy some free time in Winton to relax or wander the Opal Walk. 2 nights Boulder Opal Motor Inn, Winton

Day 9: Wednesday – Winton (B,L,D)

Discover the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the only museum dedicated to a song. Mid afternoon, visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, for an interpretive tour of the laboratory, collection room and Dinosaur Canyon. Relax with newfound friends at our exclusive sunset barbeque overlooking the plains where dinosaurs once roamed!

Day 10: Thursday – Longreach to Brisbane (B,L,D)

Following an early breakfast, we end the tour with a short drive back to Longreach where Guests on BDE9 will be transferred to their homeward bound connections.Guests on BDE11 will join the Spirit of the Outback for a first class overnight rail journey to Brisbane. Overnight Spirit of the Outback First Class Rail Sleeper (BDE11 guests only)

Day 11: Friday – Brisbane (B)

Guests on BDE11 will arrive in Brisbane on the Spirit of the Outback at 11.55am